CPP marks 77 years with membership drive
The Convention People's Party (CPP) has announced a special position amnesty programme to allow newly registered members to contest for leadership positions within the party as part of activities marking its 77th anniversary celebration at Saltpond in the Central Region.
The initiative, which takes effect immediately and runs until September this year, will enable all new entrants who register as members of the party through the shortcode 92018# to apply and contest for positions from the electoral area level to the regional level.
The announcement was made in a statement delivered during the party's 77th birthday celebration in Saltpond by the Secretary to the Council of Elders of the CPP, Chris Anaba Allem.
The Council of Elders described the initiative as part of efforts to rejuvenate the party and provide opportunities for Ghanaians who subscribe to the ideals of Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to contribute to rebuilding the party.
"We declare a position amnesty. All new entrants who register as members of the Convention People's Party using the shortcode 92018# will be eligible to apply and contest for any position, from the Electoral Area level up to the Regional level," the statement said.
According to the council, the amnesty is intended to open the party's doors wider to a new generation of leaders committed to advancing Nkrumah's vision of economic independence and social transformation.
Renewal and Rebirth
The anniversary celebration was characterised by calls for unity and renewal within the CPP, with the party describing its 77th birthday as the beginning of a new chapter after decades of political challenges.
The statement recalled that the CPP government was overthrown on February 24, 1966, and the party was subsequently banned for several years.
It noted that despite periods of division and internal struggles, the party had survived and remained committed to championing the cause of economic liberation and national development.
The Council of Elders said the occasion represented a "resurrection" and a return to the party's roots in Saltpond, where its political journey began.
"The CPP has not fallen. We are strengthened, and we are once again poised to fight for the true economic independence of our nation — the independence Nkrumah envisioned," the statement said.
The council also highlighted the significance of Saltpond in the history of the CPP, describing it as the birthplace of the party and the location where Dr Nkrumah planted the palm tree that became the party's enduring symbol.
According to the statement, the palm tree represented growth and resilience, values that continue to define the party's aspirations.
"The palm tree we planted in Saltpond has not withered. It has taken root. It has survived.
And now it must bear fruit for the next generation," it stated.
The event brought together party elders, youth members, supporters and invited guests to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the party's contribution to Ghana's political history.
Background
The Convention People's Party was founded in Saltpond on June 12, 1949, by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, following his departure from the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) after disagreements over the pace and direction of the struggle for self-government.
The CPP adopted the slogan "Self-Government Now" and mobilised ordinary Ghanaians, including workers, farmers, women and the youth, in the campaign against colonial rule.
